Psalm 51:8-10
Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me…
Psalm 51:16-17
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
The Message version of the Bible paraphrases Psalm 51:16-17 this way: “Going through the motions doesn’t please you… I learned to worship when my pride was shattered.” David shows us that there is a direct connection between our repentance and our worship.
Our worship of God should be real, without pretense on our part. It should be cleansing because it reminds us God is so great that only He can take away the stain of our sins—and He wants to do this for us. And our worship should be joyful because we are getting the best deal in the world! Although conviction and repentance may seem difficult at the time, the result is genuine joy!
Today, take time to worship God and remember all that He has brought you through. Come to church each week ready to get real with God through worship, ready to hear from the Holy Spirit.